Girlfriend Beating Is ‘Malicious’ Bodily Injury

The Court of Appeals upholds defendant’s conviction for maliciously causing bodily injury by beating his girlfriend, leaving her with chronic pain; defendant can be convicted under the “malicious wounding” statute, Va. Code § 18.2-51, even though an injury did not involve shooting, cutting, stabbing or otherwise breaking the skin by external violence.
Often labeled the malicious ...